UNC Pledges Millions To Give ‘Silent Sam’ Confederate Monument A New Home On Campus

As Confederate monuments sprinkled across the country were steadily being removed or repurposed, one of the nation’s most respected public colleges has decided to do the opposite. Silent Sam, the Confederate statue on the University of North Carolina’s main campus that was toppled by protesters in August, will find a new, permanent home elsewhere on the school’s sprawling grounds in Chapel Hill, university officials recommended on Monday.

BREAKING: Chancellor Folt and Board of Trustees recommend that Silent Sam be placed in a new, freestanding building.

The entire undertaking, including the construction of a new building that would house Silent Sam, was reportedly expected to cost $5.3 million, a figure that didn’t include an estimated $800,000 annually for maintenance.

The move seemingly ignored the chorus of pleas by UNC’s community of Black faculty and students alike, which had been calling for the monument to never be erected again on campus.

“We have witnessed a monument that represents white supremacy in both the past and present be venerated and protected at the same time that we have been asked to serve as examples of diversity and inclusion. That is a demoralizing burden,” nearly 60 Black UNC faculty members wrote in a Washington Post op-ed published in September that asked university officials to consider not reinstalling Silent Sam. “A monument to white supremacy, steeped in a history of violence against Black people, and that continues to attract white supremacists, creates a racially hostile work environment and diminishes the University’s reputation worldwide.”

UNC Student Body President Savannah Putnam said Silent Sam “does not belong” on campus and does not serve students, according to the News Observer.

— And no I do not yield. Not one second to you. (@GilmoreGlenda) December 3, 2018

UNC’s recommendation stood in stark contrast to rival Duke University, located just eight miles away, which announced on Saturday that it would change the name of a campus building named for “a white supremacist who fought for the confederacy and gave a fiery speech in 1913 at the Silent Sam statue dedication,” according to local news outlet WRAL.

“Complicating the picture is a 2015 state law that generally bars the removal of historic objects of remembrance on state property,” the News Observer wrote Monday. “The law limits the options for relocating a monument, though it does allow removal to preserve an object or to make way for construction. The law does not address a case of a monument having been forcibly moved, as in the case of the Aug. 20 protest that brought down Silent Sam.”

Several groups on campus have already released statements on their support and opposition to the University’s decision to keep #SilentSam with the potential of protests this evening, based on posts on social media @WFMYpic.twitter.com/bSJBYvmnn8

“Erected in 1913, in remembrance of ‘the sons of the University who died for their beloved Southland 1861-1865,’ the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam stands on McCorkle place, the University’s upper quad, facing Franklin Street,” according to an online description credited to UNC grad school.

At the time Silent Sam was brought down, UNC Chancellor Carol Folt seemed to be wistful that the racist statue was no longer on campus.

“The monument has been divisive for years, and its presence has been a source of frustration for many people not only on our campus but throughout the community. However,” Folt lamented, “last night’s actions were unlawful and dangerous, and we are very fortunate that no one was injured. The police are investigating the vandalism and assessing the full extent of the damage.”

The result of Monday’s decisive meeting was people sounding off across social media with disappointment at UNC’s apparent indifference to how Silent Sam’s presence might make it students and faculty feel. Below is a sampling of sentiments shared on social media.

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We are signing on to this statement from Defend UNC regarding UNC Chapel Hill's recommendation that Silent Sam be re-erected on campus. DM us if your organization also wants to sign on. We also encourage organizations to release their own statement if they prefer. #SilentSampic.twitter.com/PgTu7TJt2G

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So basically, UNC is saying its hands are tied by state law restrictions on moving monuments. So university officials are recommending building a NEW building for #SilentSam. Cost and location not divulged just yet.

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#SilentSam screams out to the world and the nation. "Look at us racist unreconstructed knuckle dragging goobers down here in NC!!" Great for racial purity niche tourism. Bad for overall business. #hoboheretic#marketing101 Enjoy.

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Terrible idea. Pandering to those who support white supremacy and using money that could be better spent on student needs. Also, NC GOP in the legislature is complicit for their 2015 law that makes it impossible for the school to move #SilentSam off campus. https://t.co/d6DUcUbyZA

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Really @UNC ? Your plan for #silentsam is to pay $5.3 mil up front and $800k recurring costs TO ERECT A WHITE SUPREMACIST MONUMENT IN 2019? I'm a Tar Heel born and bred, hold 3 degrees from y'all, and pretty much all my family went there too, but I can't give you another dime. https://t.co/xtp6z4Vk5G